


Rescue

by Dragonlingdar



Category: Octopath Traveler (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Crush at First Sight, F/F, Hunters & Hunting, Nuns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-06-24 17:41:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19728565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragonlingdar/pseuds/Dragonlingdar
Summary: Ophilia wasn't terribly surprised that her first journey outside the convent would be fraught with danger.





	Rescue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [misomilk](https://archiveofourown.org/users/misomilk/gifts).



> This includes H'aanit and Ophilia, two characters you requested, and the story is mildly AU; I really hope you enjoy.
> 
> As an aside, I am not your assigned creator; nevertheless, I hope you are satisfied by my offering as well.
> 
> As I have leftover paranoia: Nothing Octopath Traveler belongs to me.

Ophilia was quite happy in the convent. It had gotten her away from her affianced and provided her with a peace she hadn’t known before. To her, it didn’t matter that Mattias was a wealthy merchant, and thus a better match than she deserved for a barely-dowaried, orphaned young woman. He made her distinctly uncomfortable, and it was better to be married to God than to be married to  _ him _ . 

She had made sure Lianna would be safe by having her ‘marry’ a mutual friend--Cyrus Albright--but they all knew that if there was love between them, it would only ever be platonic. However, none of them wanted Lianna to end up in Mattias’ clutches, and it was the best situation they could arrange on short notice.

Ophilia took a deep breath of the morning-dew damp air and let it out in a long, happy sigh. Her days in the wilds just outside of S’warkii were much quieter and routine than when she had lived in Flamesgrace. High society had its pleasures, but there was something about being in tune with the rhythm of the seasons, cultivating plants rather than political alliances, that gave her much greater satisfaction. The routine of songs and prayers, adoration and meditation, were balm to her soul.

After a year at the convent, she had been officially accepted as a Sister, which meant she was now  _ firmly  _ outside of Mattias' reach. While that meant she was also outside the reach of other suitors and the potential of ever having children of her own, it seemed a small sacrifice. She could still teach the village children if she chose, nothing kept her from writing friends and family, and, truthfully, she had found most menfolk...unimpressive. 

With her acceptance in the Sisterhood, she was allowed to be assigned tasks that would take her outside the convent walls, such as their weekly trade with the town for supplies that they could not make or grow themselves.

Ophilia was happily humming to herself as she walked down the path from the convent to the town proper when she heard a deep, menacing growl from the woods nearby. She tensed, but forced herself to keep walking, and changed her humming to singing.

_ Maybe if I make enough noise whatever it may be shall leave me alone? _ she thought, her pace speeding up.

However, she heard the rustling continued in the trees, and her heart beat a little faster. 

_ I’m sure it’s nothing, _ she thought.  _ Best not to tempt fate, however. _

However, a giant animal--unlike any she had ever seen, growing up in a city--burst out of the trees in front of her, snarling, foaming slobber dripping out of its gaping jaws, bloodlust in its wide eyes. 

Ophilia froze, absolutely certain that she was looking at her death. 

_ I suppose that at least this will be a remarkable death, _ she thought, a sort of morbid humor descending on her. 

However, just as she braced herself for her demise, a different animal darted past her, roaring a challenge as an arrow sprouted from the feral beast’s neck. Ophilia jumped when a hunter--huntress--appeared out of nowhere beside her, another arrow notched and loosed in a fluid, beautiful motion. Eight more arrows later, the huntress and her hunting cat brought the beast down, it collapsing in a howl of agony and defiance. 

“Art thou injured, Sister?”

Ophilia startled and looked up at the woman who had saved her. She was taller than any woman Ophilia had ever come across, with piercing jade eyes and red-brown hair pulled back and into a braid that fell to her mid-back. She was dressed in dark hunter’s clothes, a brown-black vest over a brown shirt, tanned-leather leggings and weathered leather boots completing her outfit. Bracers were strapped to both of her wrists and forearms, and thick gloves covered her hands. She smelled of pine and woodfire, and strength was in every  _ ample _ curve of her body.

“Y-yes,” Ophilia stuttered, her face heating as she realized she had been staring. “I’m fine. Thank you…?”

“H’aanit,” the woman said, her low, husky voice sending odd shivers up Ophilia’s spine. “What’s your name, Sister?”

“Ophilia,” she responded and curtsied. “Thank you for saving me, H’aanit.”

“Twas mine pleasure,” H’aanit responded and bowed in return. “Where dost thou travelen?”

“The town,” Ophilia said and reflexively scratched between the ears of the large hunting cat that butted its head against her hand. “To buy supplies. For the convent.”

“Then let me travelen with thee,” H’aanit said and readjusted her bow and quiver on her body. 

Ophilia caught herself admiring how the leather strap that ran between H’aanit’s breasts highlighted that part of H’aanit’s form and quickly looked back to the dead beast.

“Do you know what that is?” Ophilia asked.

“No,” H’aanit replied. “But it seeme to sufferen from a new affliction--Red-Eye. I have hunten those who sufferen from the malady for many a moon now.” 

“That’s too bad,” Ophilia said, pity stirring in her heart.

“Comen, let us get thee to town,” H’aanit said and lightly put her hand on Ophilia’s shoulder to guide her forward. “I doubten there are more in the woods, but caution hurten not.”

Ophilia felt her skin prickle under her clothing at H’aanit’s touch.

_ What  _ is _ this? _ She wondered as she found herself guarded on one side by H’aanit, the other by the woman’s hunting companion. 

“Do you live in S’warkii?” Ophilia asked.

“I travelen much these days,” H’aanit answered. “But my home lay in S’warkii, yes. And thou dost comen from the convent to the north.”

Ophilia nodded and was surprisingly disappointed when H’aanit’s hand slipped away. “I do. It is a quiet life.”

H’aanit nodded. “I coulde not liven it. I stopen by, occasionally, to deliveren game and furs. How long hast thou been in the convent?”

“Over a year now,” Ophilia said. “This is the first time that I’ve been assigned to go to town.”

“What game dost thou preferen?”

“Game? I, well, don’t always like to eat meat--I feel a bit bad for the animals--but rabbit is my favorite.”

“Then I shalle make sure to always providen rabbit for the convent.”

“Oh, no, you needn’t do that!” Ophilia protested. “I would appreciate it, but I know rabbit is not always the easiest to trap.”

“Perhaps I shall craften a rabbit-fur shawl for thee as well,” H’aanit murmured. “So nothing goen to waste.”

_ Oh, dear, _ Ophilia thought as her face heated again. “I’m not...allowed to accept such gifts.”

H’aanit frowned slightly at that. “Truly?”

“Everything in the convent is to be shared.”

“Thou has nothing of thine own?”

“Oh, I do,” she said. “I correspond frequently with my sister in Atlasdam. Do you have family, H’aanit?”

“My father and I only,” she responded. “Well, Linde as well.”

The hunting cat butted its head against Ophilia’s hand again, who obligingly scratched. “Linde. That’s a pretty name.”

“I am gladened that thou dost approven.”

The reached town without further incident, and Ophilia took a breath to speak, but her words died when H’aanit said: “I shalle stayen with thee until thou art back in the safety of thine convent walls.”

“Oh, thank you,” Ophilia responded before she smiled. “I’d like that.”

“The pleasure is mine, Ophilia.”


End file.
